CSA Member Agreement for 2024 Season

Member Agreement for 2024 Season

Farm Contact Information:

Ray Ramsey
ray@sanbornmills.org
(603)856-5971

We, the farm, wish to provide you with fresh, local, seasonal food and you, the member, wish to receive a portion of our harvest. This agreement outlines our shared commitments to that relationship.

Section 1. Introducing Sanborn Mills CSA Farm

Becoming a Part of Our Farm

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a relationship between our farm and you as our customer. Rather than simply purchasing food, our customers become “members” of this CSA farm who receive a portion of the farm’s harvest.

Our CSA runs for 18 weeks, from June until October. Members are responsible for showing up at Sanborn Mills Farm, last barn on the right at the very end of Ring Road, Loudon, NH each week to pick up your share of freshly harvested produce. You will generally receive ½ bushel (equivalent to one full brown paper grocery bag) or ¼ bushel (equivalent to ½ of a brown paper grocery bag) of vegetables each week, depending on which share you sign up for. Detailed information regarding pick-up is discussed below in Section 3. Variety and quantity may vary as described below in Section 2.

Our Growing Practices

Sanborn Mills Farm is committed to growing high quality food without the use of nonorganic products. By using polyculture practices the Farm is able to grow multiple crops in one area allowing them to complement each other producing greater diversity of products. This also makes them more resilient to weather, pests, and promotes soil fertility. Incorporating livestock, crop rotation, companion plants, and cover crops to our gardens and fields helps us to achieve our goal of producing naturally grown food.

Products We Expect for 2024

The chart below outlines some of the vegetables we hope to deliver and when in the season you may see them in your share. This chart is based on our best estimate, but of course weather, pests, and other events will affect actual production.

Early Season

Kale
Lettuce
Spinach
Peas
Beets
Swiss Chard
Radishes
Bok Choy
Garlic Scapes
Dry Beans

Mid Season

Eggplant
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Peppers
String Beans
Turnips
Cabbage
Sweet Corn
Broccoli
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Carrots

Late Season

Leeks
Melons
Pumpkin
Potatoes
Brussel Sprouts
Winter Squash
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Garlic
Cabbage
Dry Beans
Kale

Section 2. Our Shared Commitments

• Sharing in the Risk of Crop Failure

Our polyculture practices help to make our crops more resilient to weather, pests, and promotes soil fertility thus reducing, but not eliminating the risk of crop failure.

We promise to do our best to provide you with a bountiful share each week. The quantity of produce, however, may vary from week-to-week or month-to-month due to extreme weather, insects, or other production factors despite our best efforts. By joining our CSA, you are agreeing to share the risk of crop failure with us and other members.

In the unlikely event of a crop failure, our procedure is as follows:

If only a small portion of crops fail, we compensate for the failed crops by filling your share with other crops grown on the farm that are ready for harvest at that time. If a large portion of crops fail, we may not be able to deliver any product in some weeks.

• Sharing in the Reward of Crop Surplus
In addition to our CSA, our farm sells to farmers markets, and wholesale distributors. Although production is not segregated, our CSA receives priority. After filling our CSA share with the weeks harvest first, the remainder is sold to our other markets.

Section 3. Picking Up Shares

You are responsible for picking up your share each week from the following drop site during the specified time frame.

Sanborn Mills Farm – last barn on the right at the end of Ring Road 131 Ring Road, Loudon NH 03307

Wednesdays 1PM-6PM

You are responsible for observing our drop site rules, which are as follows:

• A pine wood produce box will be provided to you by Sanborn Mills Farm. The box is made from pine lumber from the farm property that has been milled on the site! On your first pick-up you will be given a box, which will be full of your vegetables. The next week you will return this box to the drop site and pick up a fresh (new) box that will contain your vegetable for that week. You must return last week’s box each week.
• Pick up your share within the timeframe stated. Although we deliver high-quality produce to the site, it will decline quickly if not picked up in time.
• Be respectful of our drop site hosts’ property.
• There will be a pick-up checklist posted at the pick-up site. Please indicate that you have received your box by placing a check mark next to your name.
• Follow additional rules and signs posted at your drop site regarding parking/use of certain entrances/boxes.

If you cannot pick-up your share, you must arrange for someone else to pick it up for you. You are responsible for explaining the pick-up location and procedures to your substitute. Shares that are not retrieved within the pick-up time will be donated to a charity or the Loudon food pantry. We do not allow for changes in pick-up days or weeks.

We take the safety of your food seriously. We follow all state food handling requirements. For your added protection, wash all produce before eating.

Section 4. Member Fees

By selling membership in advance of the growing season, the CSA reduces the burden of up-front costs for the farmer. Your membership fees provide us with money to purchase seed and equipment before the season starts, and we appreciate your commitment.

½ Bushel per week, which is approximately 1 full brown paper grocery bag per week and serves 3 to 4 people per week. $25.00 per week for 18 week season = $450.00
¼ Bushel per week, which is approximately 1/2 brown paper grocery bag per week and serves 1 to 2 people per week. $15.00 per week for 18 week season = $270.00
Supplemental Cut Flower share is $12.00 per week for a 9 week season = $110

Section 5. Communicating with Us

The best way to communicate with us is via email with Ray Ramsey, ray@sanbornmills.org or via our CSA member Facebook page. We will do our best to respond as soon as possible, but please understand that we spend most of our time in the field growing your food and not at our desk. Please contact us with any news of the following: changes to your postal or email address, problems with the drop-site, or dissatisfaction with your share.

We will communicate with you by email. When you sign up, you will be added to our distribution list. We depend on being able to communicate important information such as necessary changes to your distribution schedule or to our farm events.

I agree to purchase the membership share indicated in Section 4. I understand that, although unlikely, the farm may change parts of this agreement related to production and distribution from time to time. I understand that they will contact me via email in advance of any changes to this agreement.